CU Triathlon Team Knows Benefits of Getting Cold Feet

Frozen Foot 5k fundraiser expected to pay team’s way to nationals

Ever thought of swimming about a mile, biking almost 25 and then running for more than 6 while competing against some of the best athletes in the country?

The members of the CU Triathlon Team not only think about it, they do it best.

The largest club sports team at CU, the triathlon team is training hard with hopes of winning the 2008 Collegiate National Championship.

The president of the team, Danielle Weiss, a 21-year-old senior psychology major, said the team has been a national champion eleven times. She said their loss last year to Navy has only made them more determined to make it twelve.

“Things look really good with the team this year,” Weiss said, “so we’re hoping.”

With about 220 members, the triathlon team isn’t just composed of hardcore tri-athletes. All levels of athletes can be found among members. Weiss said that more than half of the team has participated in Ironman or other triathlons.

“But some people couldn’t even swim across the pool when they started,” Weiss said.

Members are able to tailor their workouts according to their abilities. There are scheduled workouts every day, but team members decide the ones they participate in and can choose from three intensity levels.

The team isn’t just about working out and winning championships. Jesse Prather, a 20-year-old junior english and international affairs major, said her favorite part of being on the team is her fellow teammates.

“I enjoy the social aspect,” Prather said. “The people are really chill and welcoming.”

In addition to group workouts, the team also bonds through camping trips and winter retreats, like this year’s in Estes Park.

However, their biggest event of the year is an upcoming fundraiser to send their team to regionals and nationals, the Frozen Foot 5k.

On Sunday at 9 a.m., participants will traverse five kilometers on a course that starts at Duane Physics and stretches from Regent Drive to the corner of Broadway Street and University Avenue. While awards are presented to the fastest runner, people are also encouraged to jog or walk.

Kathryn Eastley, the race director and a 22-year-old senior integrative physiology major, said last year CU students constituted about one-third of the 140 participants. The rest was made up of community members. This year she said she is expecting at least 200 people to register.

People looking to participate in the fundraiser can still sign up on race day from 7:15 to 8:40 a.m. for $25.

While this Sunday’s forecast looks sunny and calm, Weiss said the weather has been snowy and cold enough in past years to give the event its frigid name.

“This event will happen under any circumstances except for the most extreme,” Weiss said. “If it’s runnable, we will put the race on.”

Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Morgan Keys at morgan.keys@colorado.edu